Dr. Mousa has made it his mission to provide comprehensive care for women and children in Gaza since he knows they are among the most vulnerable in terms of health. “In general, women in Gaza face many health problems such as anemia and malnutrition. These problems are related to many factors, including lack of food security at a community level, lack of sanitation, and early marriages.”  

These vulnerabilities are only exacerbated by pregnancy. “Many women struggle with high-risk pregnancies, because of social pressure, stress, inadequate nutrition, and physical or psycho-social violence. Women suffer from infections, including urinary tract infections, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and diabetes,” says the doctor. 

To address the widespread issue, Dr. Mousa and his colleagues at a local health center set out to introduce an antenatal care program. Such services are rare in the region, and this one has not gone off without a hitch. Dr. Mousa told us that over the last few years, many other donors pulled their support from the program in order to direct aid to Ukraine and other areas. That only made UPA’s support all the more crucial. 

“Organizations like UPA helped us introduce the program. [In the past] UPA provided us with the resources to procure the drugs and disposables we need to provide services for anemic and sick pregnant women,” said Dr. Mousa. 

As part of UPA’s Fortifying the Palestinian Medical Sector program, Dr. Mousa’s center received iron and folic acid supplements which are vital for safe pregnancies. UPA also supplied pregnancy-appropriate antibiotics and materials needed to conduct lab tests. According to Dr. Mousa, “Not many donors focus on covering urgent needs like drugs or lab reagents. Without it, we would not be able to support the large number of children and pregnant women we support now. If we do not have lab reagents, the diagnosis cannot take place, and no care can be provided.” 

These tests and supplement supplies have made all the difference for patients such as Aisha. At the young age of 16, Aisha was married and became pregnant. Early pregnancy is associated with many risks, but Dr. Mousa’s health center provided Aisha with preconception care, so she did not have complications. After birth, however, a health screening revealed that Aisha’s infant had developed anemia. Luckily, the health center was able to provide treatment since UPA had delivered children’s multivitamins and iron for supplements. As Dr. Mousa said, “The impact and positive outcomes of this support are significant…Many children who were suffering from anemia have recovered and are back to normal.”